Love them or hate them, buffet restaurants are one of the more resilient restaurant concepts in the U.S. Many of them receive some bad reviews related to cleanliness or unsanitary operations, and a lot of them had an incredibly difficult time recovering from COVID shutdowns, but they still continue to remain as an integral part of the American dining experience.
One such restaurant is Golden Corral — a chain that nearly saw its end after COVID, but was determined to fight back. And indeed it did. The chain debuted in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973 but didn’t change to the buffet concept until the 1980s when it reached the height of its popularity. After years of growth, Golden Corral had to shutter more than 100 restaurants following the 2020 pandemic.
In 2025, Golden Corral operates around 400 locations in 40 states and has bounced back from COVID as strong as ever. The company says its locations recently earned $102,000 in average weekly sales, a new record for the restaurant chain.
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A classic American comeback story
Golden Corral buffet and grill exterior – Jetcityimage/Getty Images
Following COVID, Golden Corral leadership was intent on enhancing sanitary policies while also improving employee relations. The chain wanted to make these changes while also keeping costs the same for customers. All of that, combined with the overall negative impact COVID had on the restaurant industry, reduced Golden Corral’s competition and opened the door for the chain to emerge as strong as ever. That effort was not in vain, as it was named Newsweek’s number one buffet chain in America in 2025 and recognized as one of Yelp’s 50 Most Loved Brands of 2023.
Whether or not you’re a fan of Golden Corral’s food quality, it’s hard to argue with the prices. To start, the breakfast buffet is quite a deal. Later in the day, the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet runs around $17 per person, dependent on location. But even if the buffet isn’t your thing, the chain offers great pricing on its meals with two sides. The fried chicken meal and the 8-ounce sirloin steak meal costs $9.99 each. You can get the fried fish or smoked pulled pork meals for $11.99, and the 12-ounce sirloin steak meal only costs $12.99.
With prices like that, as well as its determination to innovate, change, and outlast its competition, Golden Corral is hard to beat when it comes to restaurant buffets. Even if buffets aren’t your thing, you have to appreciate the chain’s resilience and ability to overcome a difficult few years. It’s a classic American comeback story.
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